Power

Electrical power for the New Horizons spacecraft and science instruments is provided by a single radioisotope thermoelectric generator, or RTG, supplied by the Department of Energy. RTGs are used on missions that cannot use solar power, yet require a proven, reliable power supply that can produce several kilowatts and operate in space for many years.

New Horizons' journey will take it more than 4 billion miles from Earth, where the Sun is just a very bright star in the dark sky. Besides taking longer than 4 hours to reach Pluto and nearby Kuiper Belt objects, light from the Sun is 1,000 times fainter there than at Earth.

Conducting missions safely is NASA's top priority. NASA informed the public about New Horizons' use of an RTG by publishing a detailed Environmental Impact Statement - or EIS - and several fact sheets. The Final EIS, which includes public comments on the Draft EIS and NASA's responses to those comments, was released in July 2005.

A description of the RTG power system on New Horizons mission and the final EIS can be found below:

Nuclear Safety Issues and Answers

Introduction

The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the mission was released to the public on Aug. 5, 2005. NASA issued its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) record of decision for New Horizons on Sept. 7, 2005 - deciding to complete preparations for launch in January-February 2006, and to operate the mission. The White House Office of Science Technology Policy gave approval for the launch to proceed.

An appendix in the Final EIS includes public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, gathered during a 45-day period from February-April 2005, and during two community meetings in Cocoa, Florida, in March 2005.

Final Environmental Impact Statement

Disclaimer: While the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has taken reasonable and prudent measures to ensure the accuracy, integrity and security of the electronic version of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the New Horizons mission, NASA cannot guarantee that the electronic version is identical to the printed version, nor that it cannot be tampered with by a third party.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Disclaimer: While the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has taken reasonable and prudent measures to ensure the accuracy, integrity and security of the electronic version of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the New Horizons mission, NASA cannot guarantee that the electronic version is identical to the printed version, nor that it cannot be tampered with by a third party.

Public Involvement

Comments

On Feb. 25, 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's notice of availability for the New Horizons Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published in the Federal Register. Interested parties had 45 days to submit written or electronic comments on environmental concerns on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement; these comments had to be postmarked on or before April 11, 2005.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement was released to the public in August 2005; an appendix in the Final EIS includes public comments on the Draft EIS and NASA's responses. NASA issued its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) record of decision for New Horizons on Sept. 7, 2005 — deciding to complete preparations for launch in January-February 2006, and to operate the mission. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy approved the launch in January 2006.

Public Meetings

On March 29-30, 2005, NASA hosted meetings during which the public was invited to participate in an open exchange of information and to submit comments on the New Horizons Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Each public meeting began with an opportunity for informal discussions with project personnel, followed by a brief NASA presentation on the New Horizons mission, and concluded with an invitation to attendees to ask questions or submit formal comments.

The meetings were held at the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa, Florida. Click on a presenter's name to see an individual presentation, or click here for the full presentation.